How wide will the gap between generations become – and will we still be able to understand one another? At Malta Festival in Poznań, we invite you to encounter two productions that circulate within the international programme of major theatrical and performative events: The Distance by Tiago Rodrigues and This resting, patience by Ewa Dziarnowska. Though formally distinct, both projects share a focus on relationship, closeness, and the experience of time in a world marked by uncertainty.

Imagine a future that still feels like science fiction, yet is already unsettlingly close. The Distance by Tiago Rodrigues – Artistic Director of the Festival d’Avignon – is an intimate story of the bond between a father and a daughter, set in the near future. The year is 2077. In the face of climate catastrophe, humanity lives on two planets – Earth and Mars. Separated by vast distance, the father and daughter must renegotiate their relationship in a world that is no longer shared. Rodrigues asks how differently future generations may see the world – or worlds – and what happens to closeness when distance is no longer only physical.

 The minimalist form of the production – a revolving stage, divided spaces, and a carefully structured rhythm of light and sound – creates a meditative tone and heightens the tension between intimacy and separation. The Distance will be presented in Poznań as the Polish premiere of a Malta Festival co-production and the only Polish stop on the production’s international tour.

The Distance, Tiego Rodrigues, 24–25 June | Aula Artis

Enter a space in which you do not need to understand everything – attentiveness is enough. This resting, patience by Ewa Dziarnowska is one of the most significant performative experiences of recent years, presented in Poland for the first time. This three-hour choreographic work, situated between performance and installation, has circulated through major festivals and leading dance venues across Europe since its premiere at Sophiensæle in Berlin.

The work has no clearly defined beginning or end. Instead of a closed narrative, it offers a process in which the relationship between the dancers and the audience is built through proximity and attentiveness. The boundary between stage and audience gradually loosens, and dance ceases to be something viewed from a safe distance. The body becomes a tool for relating – to others, to space, and to one’s own experience of time. The recurring motif of the song What the World Needs Now creates a tension between nostalgia and the intensity of movement, carrying experiences of desire, fatigue, tenderness, and strength. This resting, patience invites you into another way of being in the world, through dance understood as a practice of attentiveness and shared presence.

This resting, patience, Ewa Dziarnowska, 27–28 June | Stary Browar – Słodownia+3